Railway tie plate and retaining clip



Feb. 1, 1938. F. s. SCHWINN RAILWAY TIE PLATE AND RETAINING CLIP FiledAug. 24, 1955 or gys Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,101,131 Runway arm PLATE AND RETAINING our 4 Frederick S. Schwinn,Houston, Tex. Application August 24, lass, Serial No. 37,739

' 2 Claims. (01. ass-e49) This invention relates to improvements inrailway tie plate assemblies of the general type in which a railroadrail is held in its proper position on a tie plate member by means ofone or more clip members which engage the plate an overlie a portion ofthe rail base.

In combination structures of the above general character, it iscustomary to secure the tie plate members rigidly to the cross ties andto provide separate rail retaining means adapted to provide a loose ornon-fixed attachment of the rail on the plate. Such attachment permitsthe rail to move vertically of the tie plate during the vertical flexingor wave movement of the rail without imparting pumping movements to thecross ties or otherwise disturbing their positions in the ballast of theroadbed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide acombination structure of the above character in which the tie platemember is so formed that it can be made by relatively simple, rollingand punching operations and in which various other simplifiedarrangements and constructions are provided whereby the rail retainingclip member, or members, as the case may be, can be readily andconveniently applied by driving the clip member bodily transversely ofthe rail. In this connection the invention contemplates the provision ofa resilient clip member made from a steel strip of uniform width andthickness which is bent to form upper and lower jaws which embrace andpreferably resiliently engage the top surface of the rail base and thebottom surface of the tie plate. The clip is held against displacementlongitudinally of the rail by reason of the lower jaw extending into agroove or recess formed in thebottom surface of the plate. The clip isalso formed with a portion which snaps over and interlocks with aportion of the tie plate, preferably, the upper edge of a rail baseabutment shoulder which is made somewhat higher than the edge thicknessof the rail base.

Other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from thedetailed description herein of the embodiment of the invention shown inthe drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tie plate assemblycomprising a tie platemember and a pair of rail retaining clips made in accordance with thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the tie plate showing the slottededge and grooved under surface thereof.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing may bedescribed generally as consisting of a, tie plate member Ill supportedon an 5 underlying cross tie II and a pair of rail clip members l2-l2engaging the tie plate and overlying the base portion of the rail l3 tomaintain the rail in its proper position on the plate.

The tie plate herein shown is provided with the usual openings for thereception of suitable devices for attaching the plate rigidly to thecross tie II'. The attaching devices 14 herein shown are theusual lagscrews used for the above purpose. It will be obvious, however, thatordinary cut spikes or any other suitable attaching devices may be usedinstead of the screw spikes shown. The top surface of the plate I0 isformed with a suitable rail seat l5 and with upstanding ribs lii-l'l atopposite sides of the rail seat. The said ribs l6--l'l provide lateralabutments for the longitudinal edges of the rail base. The innervertical faces 18-49 of the abutment ribs, together with the downwardlyand outwardly curved upper surfaces 20-20 of the ribs provide a contourwhich can be formed by ordinary rolling operations now employed inconnection with the manufacture of the old and well known forms ofshouldered tie plates. The upstanding shoulders l6 and I! are preferablyof greater height than the edge thickness of the rail base, andpreferably, though not necessarily, extend from edge to edge of theplate. The marginal portions of the plate adjacent said shoulders areformed with slots 2|-2l which ex- 35 tend from the outer portion of theshoulders Iii-l1 to the outer edges of the plate. The slots 2 l-2l areconnected by means of a groove or recess 22 formed in the bottom surfaceof the plate. The position of the groove 22 is such that it can bereadily formed during the rolling of the plate. The slots 2|2lcorrespond in width to the width of the groove 22 and can be readilyformed by punching operations at the same time the spike openings Ma areformed.

In the embodiment of the invention shown herein a pair of resilient railretaining clips l2-l2 are employed for holding the rail on the plate,preferably with capacity for vertical movement of the rail relative tothe plate. It will be obvious, however, that the arrangement of theclips and the number of clips required may be varied. For example, insome situations it may be desirable to employ one or more of the clipmembers herein shown at one side only of the rail 55 and to use othermeans formed either integral or separate from the plate for engagementwith the other side of the rail. The clip members l2-i2 are. identicalin construction and are formed preferably from a spring steel strip ofuniform width and thickness, the said metal strip being bentintermediate its ends to form upper and lower Jaws 28-24 connected bymeans of a relatively large bend or loop portion which permits the jaw22 to be flexed over ribs iB-ll of various heights without danger ofeffecting permanent distortion of the clip. The lower Jaw 2 extends intothe recess 22 in the tie plate to substantially the center of the railbase and being of substantially the same width as the recess 22 is heldagainst displacement longitudinally of the rail. The said jaw is also ofa thickness corresponding to the depth of the recess 22 so as to providesuitable bearing on-the cross-tie to support this portion of the plate.The said uppet and lower Jaws are normally spaced apart a distance lessthan the vertical thickness of the abutment shoulder and that portion ofthe plate engaged by the clip member. It is therefore necessary tospread the said jaws relative to each other, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 2, when the clip member is driven to its applied positiontransversely of the rail. The slots 2i-2l facilitate the application ofthe clips by permitting them to be moved bodily transversely of the railto bring their outer ends relatively close to the abutment shoulder andconsequently minimize the length of their upper and lower Jaws whichmove into embracing relation with the top surface of the rail base andthe bottom surface of the tie plate. The upper jaw of each clip isformed with a shoulder portion 26 which snaps over and interlocks withan upper portion of the inner face of the rail abutment shoulderembraced.

The upper Jaw 22 of the clip member bears with resilient pressureagainst the top surface of the rail base. The resiliency of the clip,however, is sufficient to permit the base portion of the rail to movevertically of the tie plate in response to the wave motion of the rail.While the frictional engagement of one clip member may be insuflicientto resist longitudinal or creeping movement of the fail, the combinedforce of the clips throughout the entire length of the rail provides aneil'ective resistance to said creeping movements to the rail.

It will be-obvious from the description of the above invention thatvarious modified constructions might be made without departure from thespirit of the invention. It will be understood therefore that all suchmodifications are contemplated which come within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with spacedupstanding ribs defining a rail base seat between them and havingmarginal portions slotted through the plate from the said ribs to theedges of the plate and having also a transverse groove in the bottomsurface of the plate which connects said slots, and means for retainingthe rail on said plate comprising a pair of resilient rail retainingclips having lower Jaws adapted to be moved transversely of the rail insaid slots and grooves and provided with an upper jaw for each clipadapted to snap over the upper edge of the'said ribs of the tie plate tohold the clip members in their respective operative positions.

2. In combination, a tie plate formed on its top surface with a railabutment shoulder and having a marginal portion slotted through theplate from the said shoulder to the adjacent edge of the plate andhaving a groove in the bottom surface of the plate which opens intosaidslot, and means for retaining the rail on said plate comprising aresilient rail retaining clip having a lower jaw adapted to be movedtransversely of the rail in said slot and groove and provided with anupper jaw, adapted to snap over the said shoulder of the plate to holdthe clip member in its operative position.

FREDERICK S. SCHWINN.

